Smythesdale
Located on the outskirts of Ballarat, we had only planned to spend a short time in Smythesdale, but our stay became much longer than expected as we continued to discover more of what the region had to offer.
This collection brings together our adventures, local discoveries, honest reviews and memorable moments from our time in and around Smythesdale.
-
Snake Valley Pub
Our Second Favourite Local Pub We were lucky enough to be invited out for a meal at the Snake Valley Pub with a local known as “Grub” — and despite the nickname, it couldn’t be further from who he actually… Continue reading
-
Scarsdale Hotel
Our Top Pick of the Local Pubs We didn’t know about the Scarsdale Hotel when we first arrived, but we’re very glad we heard about it. Isaac was chatting with a colleague who mentioned it, and then later, while talking… Continue reading
-
“Shall We Go to Katie’s?”
The Story of Rustic Edge Café When I first reached out to Katie from Rustic Edge Café & Takeaway, this blog was a dream. The website was merely a shell, and from memory I had only published one blog, a… Continue reading
-
Thru the Gate Café
Scones, Charm, and a Breakfast to Remember When we first arrived in Smythesdale, a few things drew me to this café instantly: Sadly, we arrived just moments before closing, but the owner still let me grab a hot chocolate. Thru… Continue reading
-
Country Grocers Smythesdale
The Little Store With Everything While Country Grocers & Liquor Smythesdale is mentioned in our Smythesdale Gardens blog, it simply deserves its own shoutout. We wouldn’t normally rave about a grocer, but this one just keeps impressing. Thinking of ‘corner… Continue reading
-
Courthouse Hotel
A Pub Rescue on a Scorching Day When we first arrived in Smythesdale, we were greeted by a blazing 42°C day. So hot. We’d had a few failed attempts trying to run our air conditioner off our generator (ugh, that’s… Continue reading
-
Regional Post Offices
Little Lifesavers on the Road! If you’re travelling around Australia like us, you’ll know the struggle of running out of your staple favourites that you can only buy online. One thing we’ve learned? Regional post offices can be absolute lifesavers.… Continue reading
-
Rustic Edge Café & Takeaway
After the warmest greeting, we also sat down with the owner, Katie, to hear how it all began 👉 Here’s Katie’s story Fresh, Friendly, and Always Open I’ll be honest — we weren’t overly excited about dining here at first.… Continue reading
-
Smythesdale
Discovering Smythesdale: A Tiny Town Packed with Surprises Many of our favourite places that we have found in Australia aren’t big cities or well-known tourist location, they’re the small towns that quietly steal your heart. Smythesdale fits that description perfectly.… Continue reading
-
Smythesdale Gardens
One of Our Unexpected Favourites It was recommended to us by family friends-of-friends who live in Scarsdale, but we’d also spotted it on WikiCamps. We knew we’d need to base ourselves here at some point, mostly because of the easy… Continue reading
